


One of a Kind [ Jared x FEM!Reader ]

by shogami



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Going to be a long story, Slow Burn, also possibly some slow updates, jared dunn protection squad, so sit down with some popcorn, with PLOT!!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24384292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shogami/pseuds/shogami
Summary: You were there from the beginning of Pied Piper's initial success. Hired by Erlich, your childhood best friend, you're thrown into an uncertain life of new opportunities and challenges as Pied Piper's new and only graphic designer. During these times, you find yourself growing closer with one of the team members and you have to ask yourself; will you fall for him, or keep it all a secret from the others?
Relationships: Jared Dunn/Reader, Jared Dunn/You
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. I

“Hellllooooo?”

“Is this Y/N?”

“Holy shit, Erlich, is that you?”

“Yeah! Where are you, man?”

You looked around, hair flying about your face as you pushed it away from your eyes. Adjusting yourself so that your phone rested between your ear and shoulder, you yanked the gas pump out of your tank and busied yourself with pressing the buttons before you. You squinted in the desert heat, trying to keep yourself from going blind. Where you were was certainly a question you didn’t entirely think you could answer. Even the answer _nowhere_ was an understatement.

“Err, Nevada at best? Been on the road for a bit, you know.” You replied, forcing your debit card into the piping hot machine that was burning from the humidity. Erlich only laughed that same goddamn laugh that made you want to punch him in the nose.

“Still doing that? I thought you were settled down somewhere.”

“Settled? Me? C’mon, Erl’, you know me. I don’t settle down.”

“You might want to after I tell you what just happened.”

In the background, you could hear fuzzy noises. Whether that was a dehydration hallucination, the shitty connection, or Erlich’s incubees, you’ll never know. Erlich goes on to explain this new platform that he owned a percentage of— _Pied Piper_ — and, god, did it sound riveting. He rambled on some techy nonsense before finally getting to the point that the company was being funded graciously and they needed to hire a team of people who could work for them.

“You remember Richard, right?” Erlich asked.

Rolling your eyes and taking your card after the payment was finished processing, you crawled back into your vehicle and started it up. “Of course I do, messy hair, nervous wreck sorta guy? You introduced me when he moved in ‘cause I was visiting for that weekend.”

“Well, he said that he might need a graphic designer.”

Before you could step on the gas, you froze and laughed in sudden realization.

“You mean you’re asking me, you crazy son of a bitch? That’s where you’re going with this, aren’t you?”

“Yes! Yes, I think you should come to Silicon Valley and at least show the guys your portfolio. You’re one of the best graphic designers I know that actually have a BA.”

“Seriously? What about your friends who worked on AVIATO?” You joked and he grumpily made a remark about it.

“So, will you please swing by and at least give them a chance? This could be big money, Y/N.”

You didn’t have to think much into it. A rising company, potentially worth a billion dollars, seems like just your type of canvas. “Fine. Give me a couple of days, it takes some time driving all the way from fuckass nowhere, Nevada to Cali.”

After many thank-you’s, Erlich finally hung up and you started up your GPS for his address, keeping your hopes high. You knew that this could finally be your chance at something bigger and better than some mere commissions on the road across America.

Ever since you were born, your next-door neighbor and only best friend growing up was Erlich Bachmann. The man himself was about six years older than you and he not only was your plug for marijuana and other narcotics, but he also helped you throughout school and during your shitty childhoods. The two of you grew up in a little town in Nevada and, while he was your only friend, he pursued the world of coding out there in California and you pursued a bachelor’s in graphic design at a small college in the next town over. While you were separated for a while, you never stopped looking at him like your cool, older brother who finally was able to buy himself a house. You visited him a couple of times, once when you were twenty and the next when you were twenty-four, the last time being when Richard was moving into his incubator.

Now, you left for a couple of years to travel around America while living in your vehicle. Not only was it a shitty lifestyle, but you also couldn’t just return home because your parents kicked you out when you left for university. Life was diligent and you were living off of scraps, but the idea of a full-time job felt so surreal, and you couldn’t help but take it when Erlich offered it.

Nevada to Silicon Valley, California, was a seven-hour drive at the very least. You had to find ways to entertain yourself, but it definitely wasn’t the first time that you had gone on a long car ride by yourself. Not to mention when it got late and you grew tired, you had to stop somewhere at a visitor’s center and nap in the back of your SUV. When it was about noon the next day, you arrived in Silicon Valley and made sure to get a good look at the city before heading into the suburbs to find Erlich’s place.

The residential areas weren’t too bad, especially for the state of California. You vowed to never live in Cali because of the extreme mortgage rates, but a part of you loved the idea of being greeted with a tropical, beachy paradise every day you wake up. After all, you grew up in a desert town and your only entertainment was the shitty TV and vandalizing old buildings. As you pulled up to his house, you accounted for a new vehicle that was here, thinking it most likely was a new tenant. You parked behind Erlich’s van before scrawling on some makeup and getting out with a wide stretch. You approach the door slowly.

Call it overthinking, but you were most worried about what crazy shit Erlich’s gotten himself into. For all you know, the guy could’ve lost all his baby fat and become a bodybuilder.

...Don’t fucking kid yourself.

You chuckle awkwardly, bringing your fist up to the door and knocking. It wasn’t ten seconds before someone pulled the door open. With an awkward smile, he glanced down at you, standing much, much taller and with a more lanky, weird frame.

“Hello.” He said, smiling away.

“Get the fuck out of the way, Jared! There’s my girl!” Called a loud and sudden voice from behind. Pushed out of the doorway stood the big bear you called your non-blood-related brother, Erlich. He opened his arms and pulled you into a hug. You laughed, hugging him right on back.

“You shithead! How are you doing?” You cackled, pushing him off and walking into the incubator, gazing around at all the new furniture and small changes here and there. You were astounded by how familiar things felt.

“Great! Come on, you’ve gotta meet the others.” Erlich proposed, waddling off with a bong in hand. You turned to Jared, who looked a little jarred by Erlich’s attitude. You offer your hand to him, trying to be as polite as possible. Human contact wasn’t something you had 24/7, anyway.

“Hey, I’m Y/N. Sorry about Erlich, he’s an ass.”

“Oh..! Oh, no, it’s alright. I’m Jared Dunn. It’s nice to meet you. Are you friends?” He asked, taking your hand gently and shaking it. His skin had to be the softest you ever felt. Then, taking a moment, you realized you were talking to people who worked with computers. Of course his goddamn skin is so soft, Y/N.

“Uh-huh, childhood friends. Are you living here?”

“Yes, I suppose. I’m new to the company, I work as a business advisor and whatnot.”

“Really? You’re not a coder? Actually, you don’t seem the type. Too much of a pretty boy to be like one of those nerds.” You laughed, following Erlich. Eagerly, Jared pursued, almost as if he had nothing better to do.

“And… what do you do?”

“Me?” You hummed, holding up a portfolio. “Graphic designer, one of the best in my class. I guess Erlich didn’t mention me yet because he’s a sucker for the element of surprise, but he wants me to join the team.”

“Oh! Graphic design, that’s lovely. When I worked at Hooli, I knew so many fine graphic designers, what they do is truly inspiring. I don’t think I could ever do something like that.”

“Everyone can with just enough practice.” You tell him before striding into the living room, where all the men in the room were stationed. You saw Richard, recognizing him, and it took you a few seconds to recall Gilfoyle and Dinesh, but the two were mentioned multiple times throughout the many phone calls and photos with Erlich.

“Men, we have a guest today,” Erlich announced, turning to you and ushering you towards the center of the room. Everyone glanced at you. “This is Y/N, you may remember her from previous conversations, but I’ve invited her here today because we are in need of a graphic designer.”

“G-Graphic designer?” Richard echoed awkwardly, tugging at the collar of his shirt. He smiled oddly at you before looking at Erlich. “B-But… usually we hire those around beta time, right?”

Before Erlich could open his big fat mouth again, you interrupt by zipping open your portfolio. You pull out some prints on a black matte board, holding them in front of your chest proudly. Most of the pieces are examples of advertisements, labels, logos, you name it, but there were some beautifully-made art pieces in there as well.

“I’ve dealt with enough people like you to know that whatever program you’re developing needs functionality before anything. You don’t want to present an ugly duckling to investors, you want to be able to tidy it up with a cherry on top.” You began speaking, flipping through your physical boards, “A prettier program might seem like a surface change, but if you build around it, it’ll integrate easier. You don’t want to slap on the makeup when you’re done with it because that can cause issues with your finalized product.”

“She has a point,” Jared mumbled to himself, sitting down in a smaller chair.

“My range is wide, as well, I can go from theme to theme without hesitation. If you like bubbly, cute themes, or if you like sleek, modern themes, I’ve got them all.”

You could still see the visible hesitation on Richard’s face, but Erlich looked pleadingly down at him.

“It seems like a cool idea!” Dinesh says, nodding to the others. Gilfoyle didn’t say anything because he’s an ass, but you appreciated the silence over a rejection. Richard shrugged and sighed.

“Can… I think about it for a bit?” Richard asked. “I should ask Peter Gregory first before I start hiring people.”

“Alright, fine, Richard, but she’s staying here with us.” Erlich nodded, wrapping his arm around your shoulders.

“It’ll be good to have a girl in the house, anyway!” Jared piped up. You knew that he meant no harm, so you nodded to him in agreement, but Erlich’s expression turned dark.

“That reminds me,” Erlich says, crossing his arms fast. “just because Y/N is a woman, she is not to be treated differently or weirdly. If I see anything going on, I will personally beat the living shit out of you.”

“God, Erl’, could you be any less protective? I’m twenty-six.” You groaned, rolling your eyes before you begin to slide your works back into your portfolio. Erlich only said something along the lines of a grumpy backtrack before he turned to you fully, exhaling smoke off to the side after taking a hit.

“You fine with sleeping in my room? We could set up an air mattress on the floor.”

“Yeah! That’s great, I have one in my car.” You say, handing Erlich the keys. He sets down the bong somewhere before wandering back outside to retrieve your things. You trusted him, anyway. As the crowd dispersed, you couldn’t help but notice Jared helplessly looking at your portfolio. You sit down on the couch, opening it and offering it to him. “Wanna peek?”

“Oh, if you don’t mind.” He chuckles, taking it slowly. Carefully, he pulls out the works, looking through them with curious eyes. “These are very well-done! Do you do all these on the computer?”

“Mhm, even the paintings too. Recently, I’ve been focusing on traditional, but I think getting back into digital would be fun. Been on the road, you know.”

“On the road?”

“Mhm, traveling America looking for commissions. Recently, though, they’ve been pretty dry, so when Erlich called me offering a spot on the team, I decided I had nothing to lose.”

“Well, I think a graphic designer would be nice to have on our team. Have you seen the program yet?”

“No, I haven’t. What even is it?”

“A file compression algorithm.” Richard interrupted, looking over from his desktop. He seemed interested in your works as well, but he wasn’t going to admit it just yet until he brought it to his investor. “Originally designed to search for similar copyrighted music.”

“So Pied Piper is the first algorithm out there that can compress files at an extremely fast rate, right?” You asked, trying to keep your head above the endless ocean that is coder talk. If anything, you had no idea how to code, so it was pointless for them to ramble on about something that you couldn’t keep up with. Richard nodded, snapping his fingers excitedly.

“Yes! Yes, that... that’s Pied Piper.”

“Honestly, it takes a lot to turn down ten million dollars, when Erl’ was telling me about the fact you guys were going to _build_ your own company, I was blown away.”

“Y/N!” Erlich called, drawing your attention. He had already dragged the air mattress out of your car and into his room, but he paused in the doorway to the living room, arms crossed. “I wanted to ask— you mentioned something about commissions being dry..?”

“Oh, ha, yeah.” You breathed, stretching out on the couch. “Ever since I graduated, you know I’ve had to pay back some loans, so I’ve been struggling. The repayment plan isn’t that hard for me to keep up with or anything, I just definitely haven’t been making enough money to both pay them off and live.”

Erlich’s face twists sadly and so does Jared’s, you notice, as Erlich sits beside you. You can tell when the man softens because his countenance loosens, but you knew he didn’t want to vocally express his sorrow for you in front of the men who live with him. Instead, he offered you a hand slowly, to which you took with a smile and shook, fingers laced.

“Gosh, that sounds… terrible.” Jared butts in quietly, but you shake your head to him.

“Hey hey, no worries ‘bout me. I’m alive, aren’t I?”

“We can talk later,” Erlich states before returning to his bedroom, leaving you alone on the couch. The years to come with these new friends of yours were going to be the best, you felt, but that tiniest part of you had no idea just who would be there for you the most.


	2. II

It’s safe to say that you’re here to stay with the Pied Piper team. They not only have been a refreshing bunch, but it’s nice to actually be able to sit and get along with some people other than meth heads for once. Richard was sweet and a nervous wreck most of the time, but you gave him your patience, which he was appreciative of. Dinesh was a bit dry with sarcasm and on the more cynical side, but you had no real beef with the guy. Gilfoyle’s incessant jadedness really added to the experience, but you found yourself often bickering with him. He never went too far with his insults, unlike with Dinesh. You found that flattering but a part of you imagined it was just because Erlich was an overprotective ass.

And then there was Jared. The two of you spoke the most since you stayed home most days while Richard and Erlich did all the heavy lifting. Not to say that Jared’s job wasn’t that important or anything, it was just that he was very domestic and the same went for you.

Today was like any other day. You sat on the couch, laptop beside you and tablet in your lap, pen scratching smoothly along the surface as you did some warm up sketches. You took a breather, setting the pen down and reaching in your bag on the floor, pulling out a small wrapped gummy. You ripped open the wrapper and popped it straight into your mouth, chewing and swallowing. You didn’t notice Jared was watching from across the room, stationed at a computer.

“Hey, Y/N?” He asked quietly, drawing your attention upwards. You glanced over at him with a questioning smile.

“Wassup, Jared?”

“Did you eat breakfast this morning?”

“Oh, no. I wasn’t feeling that up to it.”

“I made bacon and eggs for everyone before they left.”

“Mmnn, did they tell you where they were headed?” You hummed aloud, tapping your pen on your jaw, hearing it hit your skin.

As you returned to drawing, Jared thought aloud. “No. Erlich left with Dinesh and Gilfoyle somewhere and Richard took my car to go meet up with Peter Gregory about something this morning.”

“Huh, alright.”

Jared stood like a careful fawn, spindly and alert, as he stretched. You didn’t really take notice of his actions before you stood up yourself, excusing yourself to the bathroom. As you left the room, Jared’s curiosities took over him and he approached your mini workstation. You weren’t entirely set up, it was very temporary, and he thought you deserved a desk in the very least. Working on the couch is never good for posture.

But, he leaned over, scanning your bag. It was still wide open and he was only wondering what kind of candy you were eating. If you didn’t have an appetite for breakfast, why are you eating candy now? He thought that it was a bad diet, so he reached in, pulling out a wrapped gummy. They looked regular, oblong almost, and had sugar coated on it.

One wouldn’t hurt, right? Then maybe he could lecture you about getting enough protein a day. He carefully unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing. It didn’t taste spectacular, instead seemed a little bit tart. That’s what you get when it’s black cherry flavored, huh?

Well, the tall man felt a bit bad for consuming a gummy before he pocketed the wrapper, nervously watching as you left the bathroom and returned to the couch.

“Can I see what you’re working on?” He asked. You nodded, pulling your laptop on your lap and turning the screen so he could watch. You clicked a couple of times, showing him the graphics you were done with so far. Richard had caved in and commissioned you for your amazing, sleek graphics, so you were working on those happily. “Wow… those look amazing.”

“You think so? The algorithm looked absolutely devastating, like an old website from 2009 that got severely neglected.”

“Well, you’re the master.” He chuckles awkwardly, nodding a bit in agreement. “I wanted to ask-- you didn’t eat breakfast, but I… uh… saw you eat candy?”

“Oh, no, sorry if I seemed rude!” You laughed, shaking your head. “It’s not that I don’t like your cooking, it’s very good! The gummies aren’t candy, they’re THC gummies. Helps with my anxiety.”

“T…” Jared echoes, his Adam's apple bobbing precariously. “Er… THC as in…?”

“Yeah, the stuff in marijuana that gets you high. I was prescribed medical marijuana a couple years back for my anxiety, calms me down.”

“Oh.”

“...What? I know marijuana isn’t that popular, if you don’t want to see me doing that--”

“No, no, that’s not it.”

“Good, ‘cause I was about to get onto Erlich for smoking around you.” You laughed, completely oblivious.

The poor, poor man just sort of nervously fumbled with his hands, trying to wrap his head around what he had done without your knowledge. You raised an interested eyebrow, unsure of what he was trying to lead at, before he tugs the empty wrapper from his pocket.

“I-I… I didn’t know that they were… so, I ate one, thinking it was…”

You froze.

“ _Shit._ ”

“I.. am SO sorry, Y/N, I never m-meant to pry or be nosy, I just--”

“Jared, listen, it’s fine! Really, I promise, you’re fine!” You raise your hands, trying not to burst out into laughter. “Just let it run its course, I promise you won’t be poisoned or anything. Have you ever been high before?”

“Noo..?” Jared whimpered, sinking down beside you on the couch. You couldn’t help but notice the way he sat, hunched a bit with his grasshopper legs practically jutting out, hands anxiously rubbing. You figured he wouldn’t be nervous for very long-- that or he would experience some insane paranoia, but you wouldn’t let that happen to him. In all honesty, though, you thought it was cute that he had zero experience and was acting a trainwreck. You held out your hand to him and, oddly, he turned to look at it before slowly placing his on top.

“Listen, just chill out. It won’t last for more than a couple hours, so you’ll be fine, alright? I promise.” You tell him, squeezing his hand before releasing him. He sunk further into the couch and you turned back to your drawings, allowing Jared to watch you draw. The silence reigned for half an hour before the effects began to take a toll on him. He watched with half-lidded eyes, tired but locked on your mouse as it moved across the screen with each stroke.

“You’re good at that…” He whispered before snickering, trying to hide his giggles. You turn to him with an amused grin.

“Yeah?” You asked, watching him cover his mouth and relax into the seat, stretching out. You move your cursor, zooming out to expose the entire canvas. Jared erupts in a _woooow!_ and leans on his side to watch you better. “Do you want me to draw you?”

“Oooh, you don’t have to.” He sighed happily.

Still, you insisted, opening a new canvas to work on and sketching out a cute little stylized Jared. He jerked up, leaning over your shoulder.

“Is that really what I look like?” He asked.

“Are you kidding? You’re twins!” You joke in return. He just giggles more.

High Jared is a cute Jared. As you resume your other piece, you find yourself becoming more conscious of the fact Jared is watching you draw. It wasn’t usual you had an audience, but you thought deeper into it. He was unlike the others, proving a more paternal air about him. If you compared him to Gilfoyle or Dinesh, you’d much prefer Jared to hang out with.

Then again, you didn’t want to think too deeply into it. Having someone who actually respected you in the house was refreshing.

You hadn’t noticed how much time passed until Erlich slams the front door and announces he has returned home. You look at Jared, trying to gauge if he’s alright enough to be around the others, before getting up and walking up to your childhood friend. Jared stands, wobbles, and follows.

“I just got us an _amazing_ deal.” Erlich says, looking at you and Jared. His usual kingly, assholish aura was still there. “We are going to have the best logo out there.”

“Logo? What’re you talking about?” You asked, trying to follow after him.

“You know that famous street artist, Chuy? Just closed a deal-- $10,000 for a logo on our garage.”

“You… promised this guy _ten thousand dollars_ without any approval?” Jared asked, eyes widening, “Are you high?”

“Yes, a little, are you?” Erlich countered, trying to defend himself. How it was he managed to figure out Jared was intoxicated was just a stoner thing and you knew it. Erlich turns to you, arms open and expression searching for your help.

“Y/N knows that a cool company needs a cool logo. You think those guys over at Nucleus are hiring a convicted felon to paint a mural on their garage?”

“Erlich, you have got to realize that is the stupidest shit I’ve heard all day-- and Jared’s _high_!” You yell, feeling your anger bubble.

Now, you were the type of girl that, once mad, you don’t turn back. Call it unresolved anger issues if you will, you just like to think you’re hotheaded.

“I’m the appointed graphic designer of this company!” You continue, “You know that I’m the one redesigning all the graphics, right? So, I should’ve been the one to make the goddamn logo!”

“No! No, Y/N, listen--” Erlich sighs, trying to regain his faltering composure. “You don’t know Chuy, his murals are amazing and--”

“I don’t give a shit ‘bout Chuy! I give a shit about the fact you didn’t come to me first?!”

“But you don’t paint murals on garages, you draw on your computer!”

“You are so thick-skulled sometimes, you know that?” Protesting, you shoved past him on your way to the back door, leaving the house out to the pool. It looked messy and unkempt, but you weren’t going for a swim.

Plopping down on a folding chair, you sat by the pool, arms crossed, as you pinched the bridge of your nose in attempts to quell the pounding in your forehead. You knew that when you yelled, you got headaches, but you felt that Erlich needed to be yelled at. How could he skim over the fact that you’re a living, breathing artist living under the same roof as him? How could he hire some jackass over you, with that jackass being first in mind?

As you mulled over your thoughts and began to regret yelling at him, you found yourself wondering if maybe you had been gone for too long. You did go a couple of months without calling Erlich because you had gotten a new phone, so maybe you weren’t really that close with him after all? It hurt to admit, but maybe he had just moved on and you weren’t the first anymore.

You knew for a fact he enjoyed the company of Richard more.

Maybe you acted out too harshly. The guy was stupid and you knew it, you have to keep that in mind when he makes his decisions.

No. No, you’re not going to give in this time. You’re going to wait until you receive an apology from him, a genuine one, too.

But what if he doesn’t apologize? You could always act out against him, sort of like a rebellious teenager again. What if you slept in one of the guys’ rooms tonight? He would be furious and assume the worst.

God, okay, Y/N, get your grip! You’re thinking way too far ahead. One step at a time.

As you sat outside for the next half hour, there were some stalls inside the household. Jared’s high faded away, Richard got home to work on something, and things were slowly turning to shit. Not that you were present for any of that.

Jared emerges from the house, slowly walking towards you. You could tell that his high had worn off because he looked about as anxious as ever. He sits down on the chair beside you and you thought his knees were going to touch his chin. He holds out a small chex mix bag to you, offering it as a snack.

“Hey, Y/N,” he timidly whispers, “I firstly would like to apologize for all that happened earlier.”

“Nope. Not looking for an apology from you, Jared, but that’s very sweet.” You reply, taking the chex mix with a tiny smile and opening it, eating it.

“Oh-- well, er… okay. I just thought it would make you feel better.”

“What would make me feel better is if Erlich pulled his own head out of his goddamn ass and started to think inside the box instead of outside.”

“Ah…” Jared mumbled, averting his eyes, “If I can help in any way, please let me know… but I thought I should tell you some of the changes.”

“Changes?”

“Yes, so, apparently Pied Piper is entered in TechCrunch, which is basically a large convention for up-and-coming softwares. It’s too late to withdraw, Nucleus will also be involved.”

“That piece of shit is competing with us?” You found it hard to not grind your teeth at the idea. Jared nodded, a bit sadly, before straightening his spine.

“I also tried to talk to the others about managing our time better, but it appears as if they didn’t want to listen… a-anyways, I think that we should busy ourselves with perfecting the algorithm so that it’s ready in time for TechCrunch in eight weeks… do you think you could finish the main graphics?”

“Hm? I guess I could try. It’s not easy making art all day.” You sighed, nodding. “Where’s Erlich?”

“He left with Richard to go speak with Monica and Peter Gregory.”

“Well, hope that goes great for them. I heard a car honk earlier, was that Chuy?”

Jared nods. Sighing before you stand up, you shove your hands into your pockets.

“Okay. Come on, let’s get back inside. Also, Jared? Try not to worry about the others. They work at their own shitty pace, yes, but they’ll get it done if it means beating that shithead Gavin Belson.”

Jared stands and wobbles after you towards the house. As soon as you step inside, you return to your station at the couch and begin to toil away, scratching on your tablet. You didn’t want to rush anything since it took perfection for you to create said graphics, but there were a lot of things to be done, so you expected to be up late tonight. Looking around the room, you could tell both Dinesh and Gilfoyle were taking it seriously as well, working at their respective computers in silence. That was rare; both of them not bickering with each other. You almost found yourself missing their annoying arguments.

As the time passed quickly through the day and you cycled through multiple different things like drawing, snacking, or entertaining yourself with a break, you heard Erlich and Richard return home. The van door shut and you immediately hopped up, wanting to go outside to greet them. Your intents _were_ to approach Erlich and see if you could speak with him, but the second you saw them standing in the driveway, mouth agape and staring at the garage door, you whirled on your heels.

Oh, FUCK yes.

You slapped your hand over your mouth and erupted in hysterical laughter at the image on the garage. Not only was it Dinesh literally fucking the Statue of Liberty, it also meant that Erlich made a humongous fool of himself commissioning an artist who didn’t do what he wanted him to do.

Chuy emerged, waltzing over to Erlich and Richard, “So, what do you think?” He asked. You took that as your cue to wipe your tears and hobble on over to the three men. You leaned against Chuy, patting his back.

“Oh, it’s GORGEOUS.” You said in the most genuine tone possible. Chuy didn’t pick up on your sarcasm. He looked to Richard, who motioned to Erlich before running off. You follow and let Erlich pay for his mistakes. The moment Richard walks in, he’s being lectured by Jared about communication and you tell Dinesh and Gilfoyle to go check out the garage, which they happily oblige.

After a bit of time, the entire team is called to a meeting. Jared talks about Scrum, which is some kind of method for doing work on time and keeping up with tasks. You think it’s a good idea, so he gives you some personalized tasks to keep up with. Throughout the day, as time passes, you keep up with the graphics you make and move the sticky notes to their respective categories before going back to work. Dinesh and Gilfoyle are even working quietly, competitively even, and you find it a miracle. You notice Erlich comes and goes at times, probably running around trying to solve the Chuy situation, so you figure you’d talk to him when he’s going to bed or something. I mean, the two of you sleep in the same room so you’d see him sometime today anyway.

You didn’t notice the day was flying away when you heard a knock at the door and a female voice. You haven’t met her, but you assumed it was Monica because she’s the only other woman who works with these losers.

You stood just as she was finishing her conversation with Richard and approached them with a smile. “Hey,” you said, offering a hand out to her. She gently took it and shook your hand. “I’m Y/N.”

“Hey! Monica Hall. I’ve heard you have some really good artwork.” She replied. “Did you do the logo out front?”

“Oh, lord, no.” You shook your head, imagining the mess from earlier. “No, I... uh... just work on the platform.”

“Well, the logo looks great.”

“It’s finished?” Richard asked. He nodded to Dinesh and Gilfoyle but they didn’t want to stop their competition, so the three of you headed outside. Moments later, Jared and Erlich approach.

“I love it,” Jared announces, proudly looking at the green Pied Piper logo. It was nice, you had to admit, and you suddenly felt bad for yelling at Erlich earlier.

“Well, it’s lowercase, but at least it isn’t racist.” Erlich sighs, shuffling a bit and crossing his arms. The crowd spoke in soft tones as you pulled Erlich to the side with a frown on your face.

“Hey, Erl’,” you began, “I just wanted to… apologize for earlier today. I was really upset you didn’t consider me for the logo, but it looks really good.”

“No, I uh… I should be the one apologizing. Don’t let any of the guys hear me say this, but I’m sorry. I should’ve considered you first.”

“Nah… I suck with murals anyway.” You pat him on the back, shaking your head and admiring the logo with a growing smile.


End file.
